Spring=Cleaning and Projects??

Everyone calls it Spring Cleaning for a reason.  I guess at this time of year we are apparently supposed to get this burst of energy and decide that we want to deep clean our homes and finish all of those projects that are sitting around from the winter.  Maybe it is the change in weather, maybe it is the fact that we see summer coming and don't want to do the projects then, I really have no idea.  Regardless, it is good to get the cleaning and projects done.  I, however?  I've never been one of those.  I can't think of a single time in my life that I have "Spring Cleaned."

This year, however, it was a bit different!  I had a week of spring break basically to myself.  I used it baby.  I had a BIG list of things to accomplish and didn't make it all the way through it, but I DID get quite a bit done, and I am so happy! 

A few things:

• I organized our hallway coat closet.  It had sort of been a dumping ground since we moved in two years ago.  It was coats, yes, but it was so much more than that.  It contained items that I needed to return to friends, random assortments of bags, flags that were from my classroom BEFORE Rusty was born, cameras and video cameras...we are talking random here, people.  I took EVERYTHING out of the closet, bought three cheap but cute rubber bins from Superstore, and got to organizing.  I painted a swatch of chalkboard paint on each of the bins and labeled them Summer, Winter, and Returns.  I then sorted the summer hats etc, the winter hats and such, and the items to return to friends into the appropriate bins and then stacked them on the shelf.  I moved the little container that holds all of our keys down to the side and screwed it into the wall.  I organized a rubbermaid drawer bin and put all of the cameras and such into the top drawer, diapers and kiddie to go stuff in the second drawer, and bags into the bottom drawer.  I neatly stacked my school bag on the side.  I then went through the coats and purged a bit!  I put two of my coats and two of Kev's into the thrift store pile and then hung the rest back up according to person.  Wow!  It is so much more functionable and it looks better!  We even have room to hang up guest coats now...gasp!!!
• I organized my bathroom drawer.  Ladies, we have them.  The junky drawer that holds makeup, hair stuff, brushes, etc.  Mine was a mess.  I took everything out, threw out old makeup, got some little containers and organized them all.  I washed out the drawer and corralled all of the hair things.  It looks better and is now easier to get ready in the morning!
• I sewed!  Baby did I!  It was my first REAL opportunity to use my new sewing machine.  I had made two baby blankets but over break I finally got my sewing area set up and organized in our guest room and pulled out the fabric I had purchased probably a year ago for our family room curtains.  I measured, cut, pinned and sewed!  Yahoo!  The curtains turned out pretty well and really add to our family room.  We also were able to get a great deal on couches at IKEA-buy one get one 50% off right now-and we had been saving and setting money aside for some.  We had a budget of money that we already had and were able to get two couches for over $100 under our budget!  Yipppeee!  The family room is really coming together.  I even used the leftover fabric I had to make a slipcover for one pillow.  I still have another one to go, but it won't take me long!  Check out my sewing!  I am pretty proud.  I have a few more projects that I want to tackle now that I have more confidence.  A friend of mine-the writer for PROJECT ME HAPPY, check out her blog-and I are going to do a sew along together and I am pretty excited about that.

• I have been wanting to practice Rusty's writing with him for some time now.  I know that he is capable of it, but just haven't had a lot of time to sit down, plus I was looking for a little workbook we could do together.  I found one!  When I was out shopping one day I found a great one, and we started a new routine.  Each night before bed we do a few pages of the workbook.  He loves it, and we are almost ready to start into practicing the different letters.  The book was great because it started by having him just practice the lines and circles and such that he needs to create letters, and then moves into the actual letters themselves.  He knows all of his letters, but doesn't know how to write them.  He wrote his name for the first time last week, and every night he practices writing his name as the last thing we do.  I'm not pushing it because I want him to be a genius child or anything, I just will do it as he enjoys it, which he really does.  I give him a sticker on each page.  Last night I almost forgot to do the writing practice with him, and he came to me with his workbook saying, "Mommy, we have to practice!"

• I also did a lot of random work.  I put door stoppers on the baseboards in the bathroom and our bedroom.  I hung pictures in the guest room.  I hung a hook in Rocky's closet for his bath towel.  These were all things that I had wanted to do for some time, but just never had the moment.  It seems silly, because they each took me so little time, but I guess I just needed the motivation.

Now I understand this whole Spring Cleaning thing.  Although I didn't really clean, I did get a lot done!  I can't wait to do more!  What is on your "Spring" list?